Method and process for the recovery of copper and other metals from their ores.



-- UNITED STATES CHARLES HATCH EHRENFELl) AN-D JACOB PATENT OFFICE. 1

Ross GROVE, 0F YORK-PENNSYLVANIA.

rim-m ORE-S.

nllo. 866,849. Q

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 7, 1905. Serial No. 333,624.-

Patented Sept. 24,1907.

To all whom it mdjconcern: I v I 'Be it known that we, Gimmes. Baron EnRnNrzLn and Jacos Ross Gnovn, citizens of the United States,

at York, in the county ofYork and' state of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Processes'for the Re oovery of Copper and other Metals fromTheir Ors, of which the following is a spebification. w

-Having invented certain new and improvements in method and process for the recovery of metals from their ores, we have prepared the following specification particularly describing our invention, by which anyone skilled'i'n the art maybe enabled to use the same.

Our invention relates to that class of methods and I processes whereby the metal is dissolved out of the ore into a solution of a suitable solvent agent, eitherwith or without the aid of electricity, and is electrically dey therefrom. Its object is to provide an ecoand other metals from their ores.

A further object is to provide a new and heretofore unused process for preparing sulfid ores-forfurther treatment.

no'mical method and process for the recovery of copper Our invention consists in the hereinafter described v method and process for the recovery of copper and. other metals from their ores, as well as in such of'the steps therein included as are new and heretofore unused. Y a

In order to apply our invention we employ apparatus of ordinary and well known design; a mill'of ordinary design; a furnace of the reverberatory' type, or

of other gas utilizing design, for use in treating sulfid ores; a. leaching tank; a deposition tank, such is used in the electric refining-of copper, provided with suitable anode rods or plates of carbon or othersuitable material and suitable cathode plates. i

To recover the metal from cop per sulfidore forinstance chalcopyrite, we pulverize the ore to about 30 mesh; we heat it. in an atmospherehaving a limited supply of oxygen, for the purposes, of expelling the sulfur, and of converting the metalliferous substances of the ore into the lower oxids of the metal; after the ore hasbeen properly heated we dissolve the metal out of it, with or without the aid of electricity, into a solution of a suitable solvent agent, such as an aqueoussolution of ammoniumchloiid (NH GL) ,,andt afterwards elec-j trically deposit the metal out of the solution. In case we desireto dissolve the metal out of the ore and to deposit it simultaneously;we place the ore in bulk in the depositiontank with the solution, uponaround or otherwise operatively contiguous" .to the' anode; we then locate the cathode plate and energize We have found that mechanical circulation of the, solutionbetween the electrodes does not seem to facilipl y it a c "Whatwe as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is more particularly set forth in the following metals capable .of forming various oxygen compounds which consists in heating the ore in an atmosphere having a limited supply of oxygen, for the purposes of expelling sulfur and converting metalliferous substances 01' the. ore into the lower oxygen compounds of the metal; dissolving the metalout of the. ore into a solution of a suittheretrom.

2 The method of recovering metal from sulfid ores of. metals capable of forming various oxygen compounds which consists in; heating the ore .in an atmosphere havling sulfur and converting inetalliterous substances of the ore into the-lower oxygen compounds, of the metal; dissolving the metal out of theore by electrolysis into a solution of a suitable. solvent agent; and electrically depositing the'metal therefrom.

3. Theprocess for the recovery of metal from sulfld ores of metals capable .of forming various oxygen compounds which consists in;'heating the ore in "an atmos phere having a limited supply of,oxygenfor the purposes of expelling sulfur and converting metalliferous substances of the ore into the lower oxygen compounds of the metal; dissolving the metal out' or the ore into an aqueous solution of ammonium chlorid; and electrically depositing the metal therefrom.-

4. The process for the recovery'of metal from sulfld -ores of metals capable oi formingwariousno'xygen compounds which consists in; heating the'ore m an atmosof expelling sulfur and V converting metalliferous substancespf the ore into the lower oxygen compounds of the metal; dissolving the metal out otthe ore byclectrolysis into an aqueous solution of ammonium chlorld; and elect rically depositing the metal therefrom,

5. In a process for the recovery of metal from sulfid ores of metals capable of forming various o'xygen comfrom. g 7. The process for 'the recovery of copper from sulfid ores, which consists in-; heating the ore in an atmosphere having a limited supply of oxygen for the purposes of expelling sulfur and converting the copper of the ore into- .tatethe electrolysis or deposition, hence we do not emable solvent agent; and electrically depositing the metal phere having a limited supply of oxygenfo r" the purposes pounds heating the ore in an atmosphere having a limited,

* the circuit and the metal is deposited upon the plate.

1. The method of recovering metal from sulfid ores of mg a limited supply of oxygen, for the purposes of'e'xpeh the lower oxids of the copper; dissolving the metal out of 8. The process for the rccovery of metal from suitid ores of metals capabl'o'f forming various oxygen compounds which consists in; heating the ore in an atmos phere havinga limited supply of oxygen for the purposes of expelling sulfur and converting metalliferous substances of the ore into the lower oxygen compounds of the metal placing the ore in bulk in a deposition bath, in a solution of a suitable solvent agent, upon, around or otherwise operatively contiguous to a suitable anode in operative relation with a suitable cathode. energizing the cir cuit and depositing the metal =upon the cathode.

9. In a process for the recovery of metal from suitid ores of metals capable of forming various oxygen compounds which consists in heating the ore in an atmosphere having a limited supply of oxygen for the purposes ,of expelling suliur and converting metallifcrous substances of the ore into the lower oxygen compounds of the metal {placing the ore in bulk in a deposition bath in a solution of ammonium chiorid, upon, around or otherwise opetatively contiguous to a suitable anode in operative relation with a suitable cathode energizing the circuit and depositing the metal upon the cathode.

" 10. In a process for the recovery of metal from sultid ores of metals capable of forming various oxygen compounds; heating the ore in an atmosphere having alirnited supplyof oxygen for the purpose of converting metalliferous substances of. the ore into the lower oxygen compounds of the metal; dissolving the metal out of the ore into an aqueous solution of a suitable solvent agent; and electrically depositing the metal therefrom.

11. In a process for the recovery of .metal from sulfid ores of metals capable of forming various oxygen compounds; heating the ore in an atmosphere having a limited supply of oxygen'for the purposes of expelling sulfur, and converting metalliferous substances of the ore into the lower oxids of the metal; dissolving the metal out of the ore into an aqueous solution of a suitable solvent agent;

and electrically depositing the metal therefrom.

' 12. The method of recovering metal from sulfid ores of metals capable of forming more than one oxid which consists in; heating the ore in an atmosphere having :1 limited supply of oxygen so as to expel sulfur from metal liferous substances of the ore, and so as to convert said metaliiierous substances into the ioweroxids 0f the metal to be recovered; dissolving the metal out of the ore into a solution of a suitable solvent agent; and electrically depositing the metal therefrom.

13. 'lbe method of recovering metal from sulfid ores oi. metals capable of forming various oxygen compounds which consists in; heating the ,ore in an atmosphere having a limited supply of oxygen, so as to expel sulfur from metaliiferous substances of the ore, and so as to introdu'ce a predetermined proportion of oxygen into combination with said metalliferous substances; dissolving the metal out of-the ore into a solution of a suitable soivent agent; and electrically depositing the metal therefrom.

14. The method of recovering metal from sulfid ores of metaiscapable of forming more than one oxid which consists in: heating the ore in-an atmosphere having 2! lim- CHARLES HATCH EHRENFE'LD. JACOB ROSS GROVE.

' Witnesses 2 Ravuonn T. SHIILEY,

H HENRY It. linaiucu. 

